Returning to Katahdin: An Appalachian Trail Dream

Spring appears to be constantly derailed by late winter blasts on the Appalachian Trail this year but Bruce's spirit remains high. The two of us caught up twice this week, and by the second time he h…

Bruce and Steve caught up just once this week, but it was just in time to catch him celebrating a big milestone in his hike. He is now hiking well, the weather is warming, and his weight is plummetin…

Bruce has reached Damascus and is resting for a couple of zero days, taking in the Masters Golf Tournament on TV at the same time. He is expressing confidence in what he has learned on the trail to t…

Bruce has certainly had his share of lousy weather so far but he has remained upbeat most of the time. We caught up with him twice again and he experienced the unpredictable nature of weather in the …

We had a few communications problems this week, with dropped calls, interrupted sessions and even the mowing crew outside my home causing a few editing difficulties. Despite this, Bruce is making str…

By Friday of this week I hadn't heard from Bruce and, knowing that there was some fiercely cold weather in the region, I was starting to get a little concerned for him. I needn't have worried. He's a…

My first conversation with Bruce on this week was when he was halfway up Albert Mountain, at the 100-mile point. He had already experienced a tough climb out of Bly Gap and felt that it had been toug…

I was able to catch up twice with Bruce this week. He's made solid progress and is, not surprisingly for this "man with a plan," precisely where he’d planned to be at this stage. He had anticipated t…

It has been a long time coming but Bruce is finally on his way. I spoke with him, along with his wife Cheryl on Saturday, 24 February as they prepared to hit the Approach Trail at Amicolola Falls Sta…

With just seven days to go, Bruce and Steve have a longer-than-normal chat about his going-away party, his final thoughts and wishes for his journey, as well as some of the ramifications that his hik…

We have a special guest today. With Bruce continuing the countdown to his departure in less than two weeks, Suzanne Dixon, the new President and CEO of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, spoke with S…

With less than three weeks to go, Bruce is down to the last few items he wants to complete his pack. These are the things that he has to balance between carrying the extra weight for the additional b…

With everything coming together, Steve and Bruce turn their attention to the supply, resupply, and the delivery systems that Bruce will take with him with regard to food.

He will be receiving package…

Bruce's planning has included the very real possibility, indeed certainty, that he will face some extreme weather by heading out so early. To that end, he has built a Winter Supplement that brings in…

We're on to Bruce's choice of gear, with the Big Three uppermost in his mind. These are the tent, the backpack, and the sleeping bag. As always with Bruce, he has put a lot of thought into these choi…

The premise for this week's show mirrors a popular show in the UK for the past 75 years. Bruce has chosen just eight "discs" to take with him on his journey. Limiting himself to just eight was a real…

This week, we talk about the various fears–or maybe just concerns–that afflict hikers when they prepare to head out into the woods for six months. Bruce is so well prepared and has considered many of…

This week, in our Christmas Day show, what could be more appropriate than hearing from Bruce's family and what they think about Bruce's upcoming thru-hike.

I quickly learned that they share Bruce's c…

Bruce and Steve discuss the impact upon the trail that some of the super-fast hikers may have engendered. Bruce is a bit of a self-confessed Appalachian Trail nerd, with interest in the various hiker…

Bruce and Steve discuss the possibility of boredom on the trail and how Bruce may cope with it should it arise. He has a "novel" solution to the problem. This question was from listener Eliza Newland…